John Ortberg on Jonah

JOHN ORTBERG ON JONAH

Table of Contents q Click on a session you’d like to seeq 2 Session 1: Dealing with Our Doubts Participant’s Guide 8 Session 2: Pray, Pray, Pray Participant’s Guide 15 Session 3: Jonah as a Foreshadow of Jesus Participant’s Guide 20 Session 4: Recognize Your Own Jonah Moments Participant’s Guide

Do you have trouble believing the impossible? Note To Leader: Encourage your group to read the Book When we read stories in of Jonah before coming to the first session. Provide Scripture that stretch our each person with the Participant’s Guide included at imagination, we often the end of this study. Open this session with the first video clip, then ask the following questions. have trouble believing them. Jonah is one of those stories. It’s full of one miraculous, outlandish thing after another. So what do we do with the doubts As a group, watch clip one. After the clip is finished, discuss that niggle within us? the following questions together. Part One Scripture: The Book of Identify the Issue Jonah

[Q] Have you read the Book of Jonah all the way Featuring: The sermon through? If so, what was your impression of it? “Desperate for God,” by John Ortberg, [Q] What do you think is the main message of the Book of Jonah? PreachingToday.com [Q] Do you get hung up on the fish part of the story? Why or why not?

[Q] Does any other part of the story surprise you? If so, what?

Teaching Point One: Get to know Jonah’s world.

The Book of Jonah was probably written autobiographically by the prophet Jonah, which gives us great hope that he learned much through his experience. Most likely written between 785 and 750 B.C., the book focuses on the political rivalries of the day.

At this point in history, Israel had divided into a northern kingdom, which continued to go by the name of Israel, and a southern kingdom that went by the name of Judah. Jonah lived in the northern kingdom, which was ruled by Jeroboam II, a king of Israel who did not honor God. Yet, God allowed Israel to continue to expand its territory, causing them to feel great patriotic pride in their nation. But Assyria, whose key city was Nineveh, was a brutal enemy that threatened Israel’s power. In fact, just a few decades after Jonah went to preach to Nineveh, Assyria invaded Israel and brought the northern kingdom to an end.

This gives us some insight into why Jonah was so reluctant to go to Nineveh. It might be similar to God asking someone from London to go preach to Berlin during World War II with the promise that all would be forgiven if they would repent. The Londoner would likely rather see them tried for their crimes.

[Q] Can you think of any other modern-day examples of what it might have been like for Jonah to preach to Nineveh?

[Q] Comparing Jonah’s experience to these modern-day examples, how do you think you would have responded to God’s command? Why?

[Q] Read Jonah 1:1–3 and 3:6–4:3. Do you understand Jonah’s attitude? Why do you think he felt that way?

Teaching Point Two: Don’t get lost in the debates and miss the point.

As soon as Jonah got his orders from God, he ran. Most of us can understand that, when we put it into our own historical context. What may be harder to understand is how God dealt with it. Read Jonah 1:7–17.

God sent a storm that Jonah recognized as punishment for his disobedience. So in a great show of self-sacrifice, Jonah asked the sailors to throw him overboard. It worked. The raging sea calmed. But Jonah was left drifting in the ocean, so God sent a fish to swallow him, keeping Jonah alive (though not exactly comfortable).

[Q] John Ortberg dismisses studies made to identify a fish that a person could live in for three days. Do you think such studies matter? Why or why not? Optional Activity

[Q] Why might it be better, as Ortberg says, to believe that Consider miracles are possible? doing this activity [Q] Even if we explain away the fish, what do we do with the during your time fact that the storm ceased as soon as the sailors threw together Jonah into the sea?

[Q] Why do you think Jonah was so sure the storm was his d Purpose: fault? To help us think through what to do with our doubts. When you hear stories of miraculous events in Scripture, [Q] d Activity: what is your first reaction? Make sure everyone has a pen and paper. Ask each u Check other translations to make sure the account is person to write down any correct. story in Scripture they presently have, or at one u Look up similar stories outside of Scripture to explain time had, trouble accepting it. or believing. What about this account gives them u Simply believe it. trouble? Why? Now ask each person to u Struggle with the idea, but finally accept it. write down a miraculous story they don’t have u Other. trouble believing. What is the difference? Why is this [Q] How can we deal with the doubts we have about Scripture, one easier to accept than or about how God works? the one they struggle with? Finally, if anyone would like [Q] Are doubts good or bad? Explain. to share their doubts, [Q] When does a healthy doubt become unhealthy? What line is discuss them as a group. crossed when this happens?

Part Two Apply Your Findings

John Ortberg concluded his introduction with the statement, “God is always up to something great.” We certainly see that in the Book of Jonah. As we study this book, we will see more and more of what God’s heart is toward his people and those outside his fold.

Action Point: Set aside time this week to think through your doubts about Scripture or about God himself. Read Psalms 42 and 43. Write down all the things the psalmist struggled with in these passages. Do you struggle with those things too? Note how the psalmist expressed doubts freely to God. Note also how he ended the psalms. Write down your own prayer to God, including your doubts. End it as the psalmist did: with trust and praise to God, even when you don’t understand everything.

—Study by JoHannah Reardon

Do you have trouble believing the impossible? Part One When we read stories in Scripture that stretch our Identify the Issue imagination, we often have trouble believing Teaching Point One: Get to know Jonah’s them. Jonah is one of world. those stories. It’s full of one miraculous, outlandish Teaching Point Two: Don’t get lost in the debates and miss the point. thing after another. So what do we do with the doubts When you hear stories of miraculous events in that niggle within us? [Q] Scripture, what is your first reaction?

Scripture: The Book of u Check other translations to make sure the account is correct. Jonah u Look up similar stories outside of Scripture Featuring: The sermon to explain it. “Desperate for God,” u Simply believe it. by John Ortberg, u Struggle with the idea, but finally accept it. PreachingToday.com u Other.

Part Two Apply Your Findings

—Study by JoHannah Reardon

We can learn from Jonah to pray no matter what the circumstances.

John Ortberg says, “Have you Note To Leader: Provide each person with the ever been in over your head Participant’s Guide included at the end of this study. in life? Pray. Is it your own Open this session with the second video clip, then ask fault? Pray anyway. Have you the following questions. not been living the kind of life you think God wants you to live? Pray anyway. Are you concerned that even if you were to pray, your motives might be mixed—that you might be more concerned As a group, watch clip two. about your own well-being After the clip is finished, discuss the following questions together. than you are about God’s will? Pray anyway. God is never Part One more than a prayer away. One of the amazing things about Identify the Issue God is that he is a gracious God. When we come to him What has been the lowest point of your life so far? Did simply because we’ve hit [Q] bottom with no place else to it cause you to turn to God? Why or why not? go, God still chooses to say, [Q] Have you ever been in a situation where you could ‘Come to me.’” do nothing but pray? Was that a good or a frustrating place to be? Explain. Scripture: The Book of Jonah [Q] How would you rate the importance of prayer Featuring: The sermon compared to other aspects of a person’s spiritual life, “Desperate for God,” by John such as Bible reading, church attendance, sharing Ortberg, PreachingToday.com your faith, and so on?

[Q] What kind of prayer habits do you have? Describe them to us. [Q] What would an ideal prayer life look like in your opinion?

Teaching Point One: Prayer starts with recognizing God’s greatness and our need.

Read Jonah 2.

It’s interesting that Jonah saw being swallowed by a fish as a rescue. Evidently he was confident that he was going to live, even though he was in a very uncomfortable and unpredictable place! Imagine the astonishment he must have felt when his life was ebbing away and he was saved in such an unusual manner.

[Q] Ortberg mentions that Jonah had not prayed until he was in this crisis. Why do you think it took something so drastic to get Jonah to pray?

[Q] What is the nature of this prayer—what is it about? [Q] How does this prayer reflect both Jonah’s need and God’s greatness? [Q] Give an example of a time you have prayed in a way that reflected your need and God’s greatness.

Teaching Point Two: Don’t let fear, shame, guilt, or pride keep you from praying.

Ortberg says, “Have you ever been in over your head in life? Pray. Is it your own fault? Pray anyway. Have you not been living the kind of life you think God wants you to live? Pray anyway. Are you concerned that even if you were to pray, your motives might be mixed—that you might be more concerned about your own well-being than you are about God’s will? Pray anyway. God is never more than a prayer away. One of the amazing things about God is that he is a gracious God. When we come to him simply because we’ve hit bottom with no place else to go, God still chooses to say, ‘Come to me.’”

[Q] What most often keeps you from praying? [Q] Why do we often resist prayer when that’s what we need the most? [Q] I am most likely to pray when:

u Feeling guilty

u Feeling overwhelmed

u Feeling relaxed u Feeling satisfied Optional Activity u Feeling afraid

u Other Consider doing this activity during your time Teaching Point Three: Develop habits of prayer. together

The best way to make sure you pray is to make it a regular habit. d Purpose: You may be wondering how in the world to fit it into your busy life. To help us think through Most of us can find a way to do it. why we fail to pray.

d Activity: You may have to say no to some other things in your schedule. It Give reasons why each of might be as simple as keeping the TV or computer off and refusing the following people might to answer the phone one night a week. Or you may have to say no fail to pray: to some good area of service to gain the necessary time in God’s • Karen knows that God presence. wants her to break up with her boyfriend. A good way to start a consistent prayer habit is to find a regular • John is so busy at block of time during the week to simply meditate on God’s Word in work that he never has a moment to himself. solitude and silence. If you have young children at home, finding solitude and silence is tough. Maybe your husband or a friend • Bev is scared that she is going to lose would be willing to watch them for an hour while you sit in a her job. park, take a walk, or sit in an empty church. We find babysitters for everything else, why not for some much-needed solitude and • Walt loves his life right now. silence? Susanna Wesley had at least nine children home at one time. Her famous sons John and Charles Wesley remembered that • Richard feels like he’s a bad father. to practice solitude, she would throw her apron over her head. Her children would grow silent, because they knew she was praying. Now go through the list again and suggest what praying could do for each But however or whenever you find the time, just do it. Of course, person. we don’t have to limit our prayers to a specially set-aside time. We can do it at any time, in any circumstances.

[Q] Think back to when you last took time to pray. What happened? Did God show up? Was it just boring? Did you fall asleep? What were you expecting? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not?

[Q] What should we expect from a time of prayer? What’s the purpose of it?

Leader’s Note: If you impatiently expect great gems each time you meet with God, you will be terribly disappointed and lose interest. Instead, it has to be all about being with him, the way you would want to be with anyone you love.

[Q] What should we do if our mind wanders or we get distracted?

Leader’s Note: Don’t feel guilty if your mind wanders and you end up thinking about daily chores. When you realize your thoughts are drifting, just start being available to hear God’s voice again. That’s why doing this with an open Bible on your lap is best. It helps keep us focused and we have God’s literal word speaking to us through his timeless truth.

[Q] Should prayer be mostly talking or listening? Explain.

Part Two Apply Your Findings

In his book The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani shares a story from a trip he took to India with his father. While they were walking the streets of New Delhi, a little boy approached them. He was “skinny as a rail, and naked but for tattered blue shorts. His legs were stiff and contorted, like a wire hanger twisted upon itself.” Because of his condition, the little boy could only waddle along on his calloused knees. He made his way toward Skye and his father and cried out, “One rupee, please! One rupee!” Skye describes what happened when his father eventually responded to the boy’s persistent begging:

“What do you want?” [my father asked].

“One rupee, sir,” the boy said while motioning his hand to his mouth and bowing his head in deference. My father laughed.

“How about I give you five rupees?” he said. The boy’s submissive countenance suddenly became defiant. He retracted his hand and sneered at us. He thought my father was joking, having a laugh at his expense. After all, no one would willingly give up five rupees. The boy started shuffling away, mumbling curses under his breath.

My father reached into his pocket. Hearing the coins jingle, the boy stopped and looked back over his shoulder. My father was holding out a five-rupee coin. He approached the stunned boy and placed the coin into his hand. The boy didn’t move or say a word. He just stared at the coin in his hand. We passed him and proceeded to cross the street.

A moment later the shouting resumed, except this time the boy was yelling, “Thank you! Thank you, sir! Bless you!” He raced after us once again—but not for more money but to touch my father’s feet. …

This, I imagine, is how our God sees us—as miserable creatures in desperate need of his help. But rather than asking for what we truly need, rather than desiring what he is able and willing to give, we settle for lesser things.1

Action Point: Set aside a regular time of prayer this week. Start by reading something like Psalm 63, Matthew 5:1–16, or Colossians 3:1–17. Read the passage and then sit quietly for at least half an hour. Tell God you are willing to hear whatever he wants you to know. If you’ve never done this before, it’s going to seem incredibly long, but stick it out. Don’t feel like you have to do all the talking. Just listen. If your mind wanders, that’s okay. You are in God’s presence and willing to hear from him. He’ll let you know what’s important. Set aside at least a half hour each week (more if possible) and make it a firm discipline.

—Study by JoHannah Reardon

1 Skye Jethani, The Divine Commodity (Zondervan, 2009), pp. 113–114.

We can learn from Jonah to pray no matter what the circumstances.

John Ortberg says, “Have you Part One ever been in over your head in life? Pray. Is it your own fault? Pray anyway. Have you Identify the Issue not been living the kind of life you think God wants you to Teaching Point One: Prayer starts with live? Pray anyway. Are you recognizing God’s greatness and our need. concerned that even if you were to pray, your motives Teaching Point Two: Don’t let fear, shame, might be mixed—that you guilt, or pride keep you from praying. might be more concerned about your own well-being than you are about God’s will? [Q] I am most likely to pray when: Pray anyway. God is never u Feeling guilty more than a prayer away. One of the amazing things about u Feeling overwhelmed God is that he is a gracious God. When we come to him u Feeling relaxed simply because we’ve hit u Feeling satisfied bottom with no place else to go, God still chooses to say, u Feeling afraid ‘Come to me.’” u Other Scripture: The Book of Jonah Teaching Point Three: Develop habits of prayer. Featuring: The sermon “Desperate for God,” by John Ortberg, PreachingToday.com

Part Two Apply Your Findings

—Study by JoHannah Reardon

There are many parallels between Jonah’s and Jesus’ stories. Note To Leader: Provide each person with the Participant’s Guide included at the end of this study. John Ortberg says, “The Open this session with the third video clip, then ask the message of Jonah is a little following questions. foretaste of the victory of Jesus who comes to meet us at the lowest place, telling us that death loses, sin loses, sorrow loses, As a group, watch clip sadness loses—and joy three. After the clip is finished, discuss the following questions wins. ‘Where, O Death, together. is your victory? Where, O Grave, is your sting?’ God Part One gets the last laugh. This is the story of Jonah.” Identify the Issue

Scripture: The Book of [Q] John Ortberg mentions the humor of Jonah being Jonah vomited onto land by a fish. What other instances of humor do you see in the Book of Jonah? What about the rest of the Bible? Featuring: The sermon “Desperate for God,” [Q] Why would God use something humorous to make a by John Ortberg, point? PreachingToday.com [Q] Can you think of a time when God corrected you in a humorous way? If so, tell us about it.

[Q] If Jonah wrote this book, which is likely, why would he tell this story highlighting his failures?

[Q] What evidence is there that God is up to something great while Jonah is going through one misery after another? At what point do you think Jonah started to understand what God was doing?

[Q] What comfort do you find in the Book of Jonah?

Teaching Point One: Stiff-necked, rebellious, stubborn humans are not a problem for God.

Ortberg says, “From God’s perspective, death and the grave and Sheol are not problems at all. Stiff-necked, rebellious, stubborn humans are not a problem. God laughs at it all. This is why Jonah ends up getting vomited onto the shore. It’s a way to say that joy wins—that the Book of Jonah is a book of joy. It is comical in the most sublime, transcendent, wonderful sense of that word.”

It just goes to show that God thinks very differently than we do—in the way he sees something humorous or in the way he sees judgment. N. T. Wright, author and Bishop of Durham in the Church of England, says, “The word judgment carries negative overtones for a good many people in our liberal and post-liberal world. We need to remind ourselves that throughout the Bible God’s coming judgment is a good thing, something to be celebrated, longed for, yearned over. It causes people to shout for joy and the trees of the field to clap their hands. In a world of systematic injustice, bullying, violence, arrogance, and oppression, the thought that there might come a day when the wicked are firmly put in their place and the poor and weak are given their due is the best news there can be. Faced with a world in rebellion, a world full of exploitation and wickedness, a good God must be a God of judgment.”

For perspective on this, read Micah 4:1–5.

[Q] Name some positive things concerning judgment according to this passage. [Q] Micah wrote this book for the Israelites, who had been conquered and were in exile. How might this passage have made them feel?

[Q] So God thinks differently than we do about discipline and judgment. What other things might God think about differently than we do?

[Q] How can we learn to recognize when God is disciplining us?

Teaching Point Two: The message of Jonah is a foretaste of the victory of Jesus.

God often gives us a story for more than one reason. Ortberg talks about the parallels between Jesus’ life and Jonah’s life. Some of the parallels he mentions are:

u Jonah was from a town called Gath-hepher, which is a few miles away from Nazareth, where Jesus was from.

u Jonah was asleep on a boat in a storm while everybody else on the boat panicked. When they woke him, the storm was stilled by his actions. Jesus slept through a storm, then stilled it with a word (Matt. 8:23–27).

u Jonah’s name means “the dove”—a name that also means “given to a beloved one.” When Jesus was baptized, a dove descended and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son” (Matt. 3:16–17).

u Toward the end of his life, Jesus said he had one sign to give this Consider tragic world. He called it the sign Optional doing this activity of Jonah, referring to his being Activity during your time restored to life after three days together (Matt. 16:4). d Purpose: To help us understand that in the kingdom of God, [Q] Can you think of any other parallels? death precedes life. d Activity: Leader’s Note: Some other things people You will need a sharp knife, cutting board, ingredients may mention is that Jonah preached for making salsa (or your favorite fresh food dish), and good news to a lost people, ending in possibly a way to distribute the food. their salvation. Or that Jonah’s life is an Begin by asking people what their favorite food is and what ingredients go into making that dish. Then pull out example of God’s mercy and judgment, as the ingredients for your dish (in this case, ingredients for is Jesus’ life. fresh salsa). Use a sharp knife to chop, mince, and mix the tomatoes, green chilies, onions, and cilantro. As you do so, point out how the fruits and vegetables “began a [Q] What encouragement do you find in an slow death” when picked from their plants, and how Old Testament story that foretells what with each slice they die even further. As the salsa gets Jesus would do centuries later? close to being finished, talk about how something must die to bring life. Tell them: For us to live physically, we must eat things that have died. The tomatoes and the Why would the early believers, who had [Q] onions had to die to bring both the sustenance and the to meet in the catacombs (underground flavor we need for life. Serve everyone a small portion tombs) for their safety, find so much of salsa and chips, and continue to discuss how we have to die in order to have life. comfort in the story of Jonah?

Teaching Point Three: The hope that Jonah found is our hope, too.

Ortberg says, “What if when the dead in Christ shall rise, when disease and aging cease, when cancer and heart disease fall away, when AIDS and dementia have done their worst, when we go all the way down into the grave and come back out on the other side—what if in that day life is so good, our healing and redemption is so complete, our new bodies are so wonderful, the community of the saints is so rich, our fellowship with God is so sweet that we look at each other and say, ‘This is what I was afraid of? I thought death was going to be awful. It’s nothing at all! It’s a joke! It has no power before God! It’s just a door to life!’ That’s the message of the Book of Jonah.”

[Q] What do you most look forward to when you think about leaving this earth? [Q] What do you most fear about leaving this earth? [Q] Read Romans 6:4–10. How does Jonah’s story parallel your own death and new life?

Apply Your Findings

Frederick Buechner says in his book Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC, “The New Testament proclaims that at some unforeseeable time in the future, God will ring down the final curtain on history, and there will come a Day on which all our days and all the judgments upon us and all our judgments upon each other will themselves be judged. The judge will be Christ. In other words, the one who judges us most finally will be the one who loves us most fully.”1

Action Point: On your own this week, using a concordance or BibleGateway.com, look up as many verses as you can find on heaven. Write down what you learn and share it with a friend. Tell that person how this study changed your idea of what heaven is going to be like.

—Study by JoHannah Reardon

1 Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC (Harper Collins, 1993), p. 58.

There are many parallels between Jonah’s and Jesus’ stories. Part One John Ortberg says, “The Identify the Issue message of Jonah is a little foretaste of the victory of Jesus who comes to meet Teaching Point One: Stiff-necked, rebellious, us at the lowest place, stubborn humans are not a problem for God. telling us that death loses, Teaching Point Two: The message of Jonah is a sin loses, sorrow loses, foretaste of the victory of Jesus. sadness loses—and joy wins. ‘Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Teaching Point Three: The hope that Jonah Grave, is your sting?’ God found is our hope, too. gets the last laugh. This is the story of Jonah.” Part Two Apply Your Findings Scripture: The Book of Jonah Action Point: On your own this week, using a concordance or BibleGateway.com, look up as many Featuring: The sermon verses as you can find on heaven. Write down what “Desperate for God,” you learn and share it with a friend. Tell that person by John Ortberg, how this study changed your idea of what heaven is PreachingToday.com going to be like.

—Study by JoHannah Reardon

We all run from God at Note To Leader: Provide each person with the times, but Jonah shows us Participant’s Guide included at the end of this study. we can turn around and Open this session with the fourth video clip, then ask come back. the following questions.

John Ortberg says, “What do we do with the lessons of Jonah? Perhaps we should recognize our own Jonah moments and act As a group, watch clip four. After the clip is finished, discuss according to what God is the following questions together. up to in our lives.” Part One

Scripture: The Book of Identify the Issue Jonah [Q] What about Jonah’s story sounds similar to your own? Featuring: The sermon [Q] What are some ways that we can set up a practice of “Desperate for God,” listening to God so that he won’t have to take such by John Ortberg, drastic measures with us? PreachingToday.com [Q] Think of who you know that is acting like Jonah and ignoring God’s plans for his or her life. Without mentioning names, what might you do to help that person?

[Q] Since God doesn’t usually give us direct orders as he did for Jonah, how do you recognize what God wants you to do?

[Q] God doesn’t always “hurl us into the deep” because we are being disobedient, as John Ortberg pointed out in telling us about his friend who had a massive stroke. What might be some other reasons that God allows us to go through tough times?

Teaching Point One: If you are, or someone you love is, at the bottom, don’t despair.

Ortberg talks about the lawyer he knows: “This guy ended up finding Jesus in that AA group. He is delivered. His life is saved. His marriage is saved. He goes down as far as he can go, and to his great surprise, hitting bottom was the greatest thing that ever happened to him. Why? It was at the bottom that he met God, and God was there doing something great.”

[Q] If you can, give an example of how hitting bottom was the best thing that ever happened to you. Or share someone else’s story that demonstrates this principle.

[Q] Why do we often have to hit bottom before we’ll pay attention to God? [Q] What about Christians who are trying to be obedient, but still hit bottom physically or emotionally? Why does God allow that to happen?

Before giving his life fully to Christ, author Lewis Smedes worked for his uncle’s steel company. He writes:

Gigantic cranes hoisted the steel beams from boat to dock by means of immense electro- magnets, each of them about three feet thick, eight feet in diameter, and weighing about fifteen tons. The magnets hung at the end of a two-inch cable which was, in turn, controlled by an operator sitting in a cab above the docks. I was standing on the ground blankly watching the theater of steel bustling around me when a shadow fell over me, which seemed odd, because there were no trees or buildings that could cast a shadow.

I looked up and saw one of those immense magnets ten feet above me. [Dock workers] ducked in and under these magnets all day long without giving them a thought, but I did not feel safe with that monster hovering over me, so I took a long step away. At that instant, the magnet crashed to earth and scraped the heel of my shoe as it landed. Rushing to investigate, the crane operator discovered that the cable holding the tons of magnetized steel above my head had been frayed down to a few threads of wire just before it crashed.

Later on, away from the docks, I wondered whether God himself could have pushed me out of the way of that magnet just in time to save my neck and get my attention at the same time. It seemed absurd to wonder whether the Maker of the Universe would go to such extreme lengths to get the attention of a failed steel man. But then again, I had been less than a tenth of a second away from being crushed to the thickness of a dime, and such things do not happen every day.1

[Q] What do you think? Do you think God pushed him out of the way to get his attention? [Q] Can you think of a time that God did something unexpected and amazing in your life to get your attention?

Teaching Point Two: Learn to see life from God’s perspective.

Read Jonah 3:10–4:11. Jonah’s problem all along was that he saw things from his perspective, not God’s. He saw Nineveh as the evil enemy that only deserved to be punished, and he couldn’t get past that perception.

We all want to be our own gods. Have you heard about Pocket God? It’s one of the top-selling video game applications for Apple’s iPhone. Here’s the game description found on iTunes:

What kind of god would you be? Benevolent or vengeful? Play Pocket God and discover the answer within yourself. On a remote island, you are the all-powerful god that rules over the primitive islanders. You can bring new life, and then take it away just as quickly.

Seeing that game options include throwing islanders into volcanoes, using islanders as shark bait, bowling for islanders with a large rock, or creating earthquakes to destroy the islanders’ villages, designers seem to think players will only want to play the role of a vengeful god—which must mean they think that’s the only kind of god players can ever imagine being real.2

[Q] Name some ways that you tend to want to be your own god. [Q] What makes you recognize that God has more compassion on others than you do? [Q] Can you give an example of when you saw something from your own perspective rather than God’s and realized it afterwards? What was the outcome?

[Q] How can we gain more of God’s perspective on the events of our lives? Give an example.

1 Lewis Smedes, My God and I: A Spiritual Memoir (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), pp. 47–48. 2 From Brian Lowery on PreachingToday.com.

Optional Activity Apply Your Findings

Consider Ortberg concludes, “That’s the story of Jonah. That’s why what doing this activity looks like tragedy ends up as comedy. That’s your life, too—if you during your time want it to be. Jesus comes and says: If you’ll let me, I’ll meet you together at the Cross. I’ll meet you at the tomb. The third day is coming, if you’ll meet me.” d Purpose: To help us recognize Satan’s Action Points: lies and move toward God’s truth. • On your own this week, read through the Book of Jonah again. Jot down the things God is helping you to d Activity: understand as a result of this study. Pass out markers to each person in the group. Ask • If you know someone who is running from God as Jonah everyone to take off one of did, begin to pray for them and look for opportunities to their shoes and to write Romans 16:20 on the help them turn around and come back to God. bottom of it: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” —Study by JoHannah Reardon Explain that every time they wear those shoes, they should repeat God’s promise and literally walk the hell out of those lies that Satan is whispering to them.

We all run from God at times, but Jonah shows us Part One we can turn around and come back. Identify the Issue

John Ortberg says, “What Teaching Point One: If you are, or someone do we do with the lessons you love is, at the bottom, don’t despair. of Jonah? Perhaps we should recognize our own Teaching Point Two: Learn to see life from God’s perspective. Jonah moments and act according to what God is up to in our lives.” Part Two

Scripture: The Book of Apply Your Findings Jonah Ortberg concludes, “That’s the story of Jonah. That’s why what looks like tragedy ends up as comedy. That’s your Featuring: The sermon life, too—if you want it to be. Jesus comes and says: If “Desperate for God,” you’ll let me, I’ll meet you at the Cross. I’ll meet you at the by John Ortberg, tomb. The third day is coming, if you’ll meet me.” PreachingToday.com

Action Points:

• On your own this week, read through the Book of Jonah again. Jot down the things God is helping you to understand as a result of this study.

• If you know someone who is running from God as Jonah did, begin to pray for them and look for opportunities to help them turn around and come back to God.

—Study by JoHannah Reardon